1957-02-01 Char-Koosta News

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Hontana Stale University
-, Ml s oula, Montana
U. S. Public Health Serves Large Numbers
depository qg^^^ÂTÏ
UNIVERSITY
RECEIVED
PUBLISHED BY CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOOTENAI TRIBES, FLATHEAD AGENCY, MONT. Application for Second Class Permit Made at the Pos? ©ffice-ttr-R^mmr^oTYraTia"
I .IHRARY
:t*an5Ai957
Vol. 1 — No. 4
j During the year 1956 approximately 1,800 persons have been treated in the various ihospitals throughout the reser vation communities. This figure has just been released by the Division of Indian Health under the U. S. Public Health Service. The Public Health Service has used on a fee basis the services of all .physicians within the reservation bound-Jies and several specialists in adjacent .cities such as Missoula and Spokane. The ¦'•variety of medical service rendered has i covered every ailment common to the area and has included active participation in combatting both polio and tuberculosis.
In addition, the dental health program pas served 833 Indian persons, with emphasis placed on school age children. This program has been directed by Dr. Frank C. Vavra, a full-time dentist. His dental assistant is Miss Marie Tapia, a member of the Flathead Tribe.
Coordinating and serving as an integral part of the Health Unit has been the sanitation program, headed locally by a full:time sanitarian aid, Earl S. Sanders, who is also a member of the Flathead Tribe.
The effects of the second year are beginning to be observed in a noticeable improvement of the general health of our people.'The cost has been high, understandably so considering the great needs existing at the time that the Public Health Service assumed responsibility for the health program.
• However, members of the Tribe interested in reservation finances should know that this cost has been entirely borne by - Government funds administered by the Flathead Health Unit. Cooperation by the staff of Health District No. 2 has contributed much to the preventive aspect of the health program, not only to the Indians within the reservation area but also to non-Indians residing in Sanders and Lake Counties which comprise Health District No. 2.
Cooperation also has been extended by the Flathead Tribal Council, without which no working Health Program could
February, 1957
Explains "1920" Allotment urchase Program
BY Walter H. Morigeau
The lands on the Flathead Indian Reservation were alloted under the Act of February 8, 1887 as amended by the Act of May 8, 1906 ( 36 Stat. L. 182) and under the Act of February 25, 1920 (41 Stat. 452) as amended by the Act of June 16, 1950. The Act of 1920 provided that any patents to be issued under this act should contain a clause reserving to the United States the right to cut and market merchantable timber for tribal benefit and that after the mercantable timber has been cut the title to such timber that remains on the lands will pass to the allottees. This particular act was amend, ed June 16, 1950 to read.
"Sec. 2. The right theretofore reserved to the United States in any of the patents for alloments issued under the provisions of said Act of February 25, 1920 (41 Stat. 45), to cut and market timber for the benefit of the Confederated Sclish and Koot enai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation shall be limited to the cutting of so much of the merchantable timber on such allotments as may be cut during the first cutting operations on such allotments, and when such cutting operations have been completed, the title to the residual timber on such allotments shall therefore pass to the respective allottees or their heirs or devisees."
have been established by the U. S. Public Health Service. Their advice and guidance to their own people opened the field for the operations of the Health Service, that resulted in acceptance and understanding by the community
INDIAN LEGENDS
BY Louis Tellier
FLATHEAD ARROWS
Stone, cut into shape with quartz crystals, was the material used for many useful tools among the Flathead Indians of the past generations. Among the tools made were arrow smoothers, stone formations for grinding, pounding, and sharpening bone; horns of the buffalo, 'eer and elk and for cutting into other Stones; in making smoking pipes, surgical instruments for probing wounds, breast pumps for women, hide tanning
tools, stoneaxes and ..chisels Root pick ing prongs of stone and antlers of buffalo, deer and elk were made by the early Flathead Indians ¦ of now western Montana. Their arrdys for bows were mostly made from what is known as dog-wood, smoothed down by stone and the point sharpenen with stone, flint and in later years from iron pieces The old Flatheads believed that by tying the feathers of the eagle to the butt of the arrow, the great unseen "bird spirits" would always guide the arrows straight.
(Continued on page 4)
The allotments granted under the 1887 act as amended provided that the allottees would have title to all timber.
In September. 1952 the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council by Resolution No. 802 requested an allocation of $300,000.00 from local and treasury funds for the purchase of 190 allotments and on January 16, 1953 by Resolution No. 807 authorized the purchase of 190 allotments located within the established timber units on the Flathead Reservation. At that time it was estimated that 517, 1920 allotments, comprising approximate ly 76,000 acres would be acquired through the purchase program. The primary purpose of the Tribes' acquiring 190 allotments was for the consolidation of their tribal land holdings; to reduce the multiple heirship status: and to provide for the sustained production and conservation of their timber resources on the Flathead Reservation for the benefit of all members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. " ~"      ~
The program was approved on January 16, 1953 and was to be in operation for a three year period. Due to the changes in personnel in the Realty branch and the lack of a steady flow of funds, the program was not completed in the three year period. On January 6, 1956 the Tribal Council of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes requested a one year extension to complete thé program. At that time there were still 142 of the 1920 allotments to be purchased. In June 1956 additional funds in the amount of $100,000, of Tribal funds, were requested from the United States Treasury to complete the program.
All of the tracts purchased or to be purchased were appraised. However, since the original appraisal, a review of the appraisal method was made in order to determine if the values were consistant with current market values of real property. This review was necessary since the appraisal technique and methods were changed from the original appraisal procedures. On January 6, 1957, all of the remaining allotments which were consistant with the current market value were purchased.
As a result of this purchase program, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes acquired 462, "1920" allotments, and 146, "1908" allotments which required an expenditure of $928,512.18. The total acreage acquired amounted to 82,753.24 acres- There will be a follow-up article emphasizing the beneficial effects of this program to the tribe, land owners, and members of the tribe.